Broncos' Von Miller won't be charged in shark fishing incident

Von Miller, linebacker for the Denver Broncos, is officially off the hook for his shark-related activities.

According to USA Today, Miller will not be prosecuted for catching a hammerhead shark off the coast of Miami in March 2018.

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Von Miller of the Denver Broncos won't be charged for catching a hammerhead shark off the coast of Miami in March 2018. (Photo by Paul Abell/Invision for NFL/AP Images)

Miller, an avid hunter and fisherman, posted a video to Instagram last year that showed him reeling in a hammerhead shark, as well as a photo of himself posing with it. He received instant backlash, and PETA filed a complaint with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Miller later said that they followed Florida’s rules and released the shark, but his social media posts (as well as PETA’s complaint) led the FFWCC to open an investigation.

While Miller says that he and his companions followed all the rules, not everyone involved in the shark fishing incident got off scot free. The owner and operator of the boat he was on were charged with “fishing for sharks without the proper permit and for failure to release a shark in the manner that will ensure maximum probability of survival,” according to USA Today. They were also given a $2,000 “notice of violation and assessment.”

The FFWCC classifies hammerhead sharks under Group 3, which means they are prohibited from being harvested. If Miller had violated that — which amounts to a second-degree misdemeanor — he could have faced 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.